


Like birds in their nest, Are ready for rest

by catboysam



Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Brotherly Bonding, Comfort/Angst, Dante is Big Depressed and depression makes you think your friends don’t love you, Dante wants to be a good uncle, Dialogue Heavy, Family Fluff, Gen, Other Characters Are Mentioned, Self-Worth Issues, Vergil is considering being a good dad, these two are disasters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:00:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24050218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catboysam/pseuds/catboysam
Summary: Round the laps of their mothers,Many sisters and brothers,Like birds in their nest,Are ready for rest;And sport no more seen,On the darkening Green.A little post-DMC5 fic about Dante and Vergil in the Underworld.
Relationships: Dante & Vergil (Devil May Cry)
Comments: 26
Kudos: 120





	Like birds in their nest, Are ready for rest

**Author's Note:**

> Summary is an excerpt from The Ecchoing Green by William Blake. I uh. Accidentally wrote this at 4am. Thanks to Jenny and Brynne for betaing for me to make sure it made any kind of sense!

“It’s been a few months,” Vergil calls to Dante as they destroy the last few demons in the latest wave to attack them. “I’m surprised you’re not ready to return to the human world yet.”

“What, and leave behind this fabulous scenery?” Dante laughs at his own joke and sits down to rest in the same spot where he just had killed a Fury. “Besides, I’m not leavin’ until you’re ready. Still want to keep an eye on you.”

Vergil scoffs, taking a seat on the ground next him. “Well I’m sure you’ve noticed that I haven’t done or planned anything involving the mass slaughter of humans while we’ve been here in the Underworld. But I didn’t think you’d want me to go back in the first place.”

Dante raises an eyebrow. “What, given your track record with huge, towering structures? It’s not a great reputation to have, but I figure Nero will be pissed if I don’t bring you back eventually, now that he knows he has a father and all.”

“Nero...” Vergil mutters his son’s name thoughtfully. “I did say I’d return for a rematch. But what about you? Won’t the others be waiting for you to come home?”

“I mean,” Dante begins, a soft look passing over his face, “Lady, Trish, Morrison, Patty...”(Vergil makes a mental note of the name he doesn’t recognize.) “They’re like a second family to me, but they all have their own lives. Hell, Nero’s actual family and he’s got a nice girl and three foster kids they’re lookin’ after. No one back home needs me now that the big threat is gone, and I doubt they’ll miss me.” Dante breathes a laugh. “Last time I came back from the Underworld after months I didn’t even get a hug from the ladies, just a lot of yelling.”

Vergil is unimpressed and knows it is evident in his frown, but decides to hold off on asking when his little brother had been to the Underworld before until later. “I didn’t realize your colleagues think so lowly of you. Nero seemed less concerned than I had expected when we met up again after a month, but I presumed that was because you had called him-“

“Dead weight, I know.” Dante cringes at the memory. “I didn’t really mean it, you know. Nero’s a good kid. Strong too, as you definitely know by now. I just... I don’t know. I didn’t want him to be killed by his own father, and I guess in the moment... I said the wrong thing to try and make him leave.” He sighs, running a hand over his face. “I sure as hell didn’t expect it to get to him like that.”

“I had assumed he was yours from the way you reacted to V bringing him there. Rather, both V and Urizen assumed.”

Dante startles at that, looking at Vergil with surprise. “Wait, so not even Urizen could sense it? I mean you mentioned you didn’t know about Nero, but I thought maybe Urizen just didn’t care. That’s part of why I was so worried for the kid.”

Vergil clears his throat, suddenly uncomfortable. “I... V had deduced that Nero had come from one of us, but deliberately avoided thinking about it until that moment when you told him to escape with Nero. Urizen didn’t care, but that was because the only thing he cared for was gaining power. He barely recognized Nero’s strength, let alone his heritage.”

Dante shakes his head as Vergil speaks, finally replying, “Nero’s stronger than any of us have ever given him credit for. Not just power-wise, but in his heart. Shouldn’t have underestimated him.” Vergil isn’t sure which of them Dante is aiming that sentence at, but his twin continues, murmuring, “Don’t think I’d mind if he was my kid.”

Pushing down a wave of an emotion he’s not sure how to identify (fatherly pride? Childish jealousy that Dante was coveting something of his again? Better to abandon the latter thought; Nero isn’t a possession, he’s a person), Vergil asks, “When V told him my name he didn’t react. Did you never tell him about our family?”

Dante winces again, and Vergil does not like that. “Well, when I passed the Yamato on to him, I told him I wanted to keep it in the family, plus he had already learned that he was kin of Sparda or whatever from the old bastard trying to take over the world, but I never told him anything much besides that Yamato was my brother’s sword.”

Ah. So that was why it was with the boy. “And if you were so sure he was my son, then why didn’t you tell him about me?”

Dante’s laugh is hollow this time, and Vergil does not like that, either. “What, and tell him I killed his father? Seemed like a bad idea. Not worth it.” He looks down at his hands, eyes most often flickering to the left one. “Better to keep the kid at a distance. He’d be safer that way.” Another sigh. “Or so I thought.”

“Was Nero the one to reforge it?” He will not explain how it was broken in the first place unless Dante asks, and even then...

“Yeah, he was. The Order of the Sword out on Fortuna had been goin’ around collecting shards of the Yamato, and while he was runnin’ around foiling their evil plans he came across them underneath their headquarters. The shards reacted to him, to your blood in him, and voila!” Dante waved his hand in the air for emphasis. “One restored Yamato. That’s how I figured out he really is your kid.”

“Fortuna and the Order of the Sword...” Vergil taps on the Yamato’s sheath in thought. “That does make sense. I briefly visited Fortuna during our...year apart after we first reunited. You found him there? When?”

“About the time the Order’s head honcho decided to go full supervillain. Lady asked me to come put a stop to the Order’s shit, I dropped in with style as always and shot the old fart in the head, and then Nero shoved his boots in my face for scaring his lady-love. It was actually pretty adorable.”

Any smugness Vergil felt at hearing that his son had challenged Dante practically on sight was overridden by a realization. “So he was raised there on that island of fanatics? Were they aware that he was related to their ‘Savior’?”

Dante’s expression changes to one of regret and exhausted anger. “If you didn’t know about the kid, no way was I gonna know. So yeah, he was raised there, and from what little he’s let slip, he was treated like shit by most folks. No one knew who his parents were, let alone that his grandfather was the great Sparda they claimed to love so damn much.” He sits up and looks Vergil straight in the eye. “I swear, Vergil, if I had known he was out there I would have made sure he had a better childhood than that.”

Vergil meets his gaze; there is only sincerity in Dante’s face and voice. “I... appreciate that. So what became of the Order of the Sword?”

“Nero fucked up most of their plans, but he was still learning the ropes so I had to step in and help him a bit. I let him get the final blow on the leader though. You should have seen it, that arm of his was pretty damn cool in action.”

There is an awkward silence as Dante finishes the last sentence. Vergil is ready to not talk for a while, but Dante, as always, cannot keep his mouth shut.

“Nero really is a great kid, Vergil. I know you spent a little time with him as V, but I think you should get to know him as his father and make up for the shit you did to him. He needs it. You need it.”

Vergil bristles at Dante’s assertion, regardless of whether he is right or not. “You presume to know what I need, little brother?”

Dante rolls his eyes. “Don’t be like that, asshole. I’m just saying it would be good for both of you. The kid gets to bond with his real dad, and you get to take pride in having somehow spawned him. Which, by the way, I still want the details on how exactly that happened.”

“A gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell, Dante.”

“Oh, so there was kissing, huh? Bold of you to call yourself a gentleman, though.”

“ _Dante._ ”

“Aw, you’re no fun.”

“Your definition of fun needs revising. Now enough of this.”

“Enough of what? Us bantering or...?”

Vergil stands up. “Enough of _this_ ,” he replies, gesturing at their surroundings with the hand not holding the Yamato. “I’m curious to see if Nero has grown stronger in our absence.”

Dante dusts off his pants as he stands to join his twin. “It’s about time. Glad you finally found a reason to stick around, brother.”

Pausing, Vergil narrows his eyes. “What do you mean?

Dante freezes, looking like he didn’t intend to say that last statement out loud. “Y’know. I’m just glad you’ll be keeping out of trouble, is all. Nero’s not gonna take any shit from you.”

“I am aware. But what did you mean, a reason to stick around? Why would I not have a reason to?

“Well, I guess...” Dante looks uncomfortable, like an old hurt has been dug up accidentally. “I wasn’t a good enough reason for you to stay before.”

Oh. Vergil doesn’t have to look at Dante to know they’re both thinking of the same memory.

Vergil tipping backwards over the edge into hell. Dante reaching out to stop him, catch him. Vergil slicing his hand for his concern.

“Dante,” Vergil starts, trying to collect his past thoughts and reasonings quickly, “That wasn’t about you. At the time, it made sense to me for you to stay in the human realm while I faced Mundus-“

“Faced him alone, injured from our fight. I should have been there with you. I should have either grabbed you and kept you from falling or jumped down after you-“

“Absolutely not.” Vergil’s voice is cold with the memory of those three red eyes hovering towards him, of throwing the Yamato’s scabbard away. “It was better that you were safe.”

“Safe?” Dante murmurs, the word sounding hollow, before crying out, “Safe?! Who gives a damn about me being safe when you were down there all alone?!”

“I do! I did!”

“Hard to fucking believe you cared about my safety during any of that shit at the Temen-ni-gru, Vergil. I asked you what you were going to do with Dad’s power and you sure as hell didn’t say ‘Keep you safe, Dante.’ Fuck, it’s hard to believe you give a damn about me at all since you were so eager to go down there to get away from me and keep me from following!”

“And you were so concerned about me when you said that you’d stop me, even if it meant killing me?”

Dante stops, face going ghostly pale. “I didn’t mean it. God, I didn’t fucking mean it, Vergil. Losing you the first time was painful enough. I didn’t need it to happen two more. And I sure as hell didn’t need it to be my fault both times.”

Vergil stares at him, face impassive. His arms are still at his sides, but Dante’s hands are shaking.

“I’m sorry Vergil. I’m so fucking sorry.”

Dante...” This is certainly not where he expected this conversation to go. But he has to admit... “Dante, it’s not your fault. And you were... not wrong. It would have been best if I had not fallen. Best for both of us. I can see that now.” If he had only been stronger, he could have defeated Mundus and returned. If he had taken Dante’s hand, perhaps they could have recovered and found a way to destroy him together. But what-ifs and failed ambitions don’t mean much to a grieving little brother.

Vergil isn’t sure what else to say, so he does something he hasn’t done in a long time: He hugs Dante.

His twin stiffens at first, apparently just as unused to the gesture. But after a moment, Dante sighs and leans into the hug, pressing his still shaking hands to Vergil’s back.

“‘S a pretty nice dream,” Dante mumbles into his shoulder, causing Vergil to raise an eyebrow at him. “Hope I don’t wake up anytime soon.”

“This is real, Dante,” Vergil chides him, though his voice is gentle. After all they’ve been through, he can’t blame Dante for having trouble telling the difference.

“I know. I guess I’m just scared to believe it’s real, because then the other shoe’ll drop like always.”

Again, Vergil cannot fault him. Instead, he rests his chin on his little brother's head.

Dante’s breathing hitches in the way Vergil can still recognize means he’s holding back tears. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” A moment passes, and Vergil asks, “Dante... Is there room for another person at Devil May Cry?”

Dante nods and manages to say without a sob, “I think I can scrounge up a dirty mattress for you.”

Vergil gently elbows him and Dante gives a little hiccuping laugh as his older brother says, “Let’s go home.”

Dante pulls back, giving Vergil a smile he hasn’t seen in years, though it’s a little watery. “Let’s go home.“

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
